The invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for the removal of heat from the housing of heat generating assemblies. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the removal of heat from the housing of an electronic switching component.
Electronic components or assemblies whose operation produces large quantities of heat caused by energy dissipation, and which are encapsulated in plastics, ceramics or metal housings, are usually provided with cooling elements or members which enable the excess heat produced to escape into the environment, primarily by convection and/or by conduction of heat. For heat conduction, in the case of components having a high level of heat caused by energy losses, it is conventional to use, in particular, carriers or housings or housing parts which are good conductors of heat, and more especially are made of metal, with the maximum possible surface area. Frequently, the corresponding carrier elements or housings or housing parts are ribbed for this purpose and/or their surface is subjected to a high-speed air current produced by a fan.
It is known to use mica flakes or heat-conducting pastes, such as silicone paste with added aluminum oxide, for this purpose.
An arrangement of this kind is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,754A1 in which heat-conducting projections of elastic, heat-conducting material are applied to a heat source, so that they deform.
This arrangement is complicated to produce, since the elements in question have to be manufactured in suitable molds which only allow the production of shapes capable of being removed from molds. In addition, the construction of non-cohesive structures is difficult since a plurality of individual molds have to be produced for this purpose. Consequently, in manufacture, there is the disadvantage of complicated handling, which does not suit the present day requirements of the electronics industry and/or the problem of unsatisfactory properties in the operation of the electronic components or assemblies (poor heat transmission properties, smearing of the carrier, particularly in the case of large differences in temperature, etc.).